Blaze The Cat : Flame Of Peace
by Grant Crose
Summary: Blaze the cat, queen of the kingdom of Sol, faces a ruthless governor who threatens the wellbeing of the town of Lumbre, part of her kingdom, and Spark the raccoon, Blaze s son, discovers his powers. Note: This is a work of mere fiction, any supernatural concept depicted here shall not be believed in or practiced in any way. Violence of any kind is not encouraged in any way.
1. Chapter 1: Royal Duties

The light of the sun of the early morning painted the landscape of the Sol Kingdom, all of its towns with their houses and markets, the Queen, Blaze the cat, was glancing that scene from the balcony outside of her room on the castle, she was wearing a purple dress and her hair was loose, her crown had little red diamonds surrounding it. She took a deep breath, and tried to forget her duties as a queen just for a brief moment, then she closed her eyes and exhaled.

After about a minute, she entered her room and exited towards the stairs, she went downstairs heading to the dining room, where Rachel, Blaze's assistant, a female fennec fox who was wearing a white dress, was waiting for her standing next to the large wooden table. "Morning your highness." Rachel pulled a chair away from the table.

Blaze walked towards the chair and sat down. "Good morning."

Rachel went to the bar that faced the kitchen for a glass and a jug with milk. "Hope you slept well."

Blaze sighed. "More less, thank you, this queen stuff can be messy you know."

Rachel put the glass on the table and poured some milk in it. "Well, I hope this breakfast I've made for you helps a little bit." She went back to the bar to pick up two plates, a small, empty one and a big one full of pancakes, then she put them over the table, alongside a fork and a knife. "I think you'll love this."

Blaze's eyes widened. "You always know what I like! Thanks." She put two pancakes on her plate with the fork.

"Oh, it's nothing your highness." Rachel said, she was standing next to Blaze.

While cutting her pancakes in pieces, Blaze looked at Rachel. "I hate to eat alone, can you join me?"

"Oh, thanks but I uhm…" Rachel was interrupted before being able to invent an excuse.

"Rachel, grab a plate and eat with me, please." Blaze demanded.

Rachel nodded and took another plate from the bar and took a pair of cutlery, then she sat down a few places away from Blaze.

Blaze sighed. "I want to talk about something important, can you sit next to me?" Rachel stood up and sat alongside Blaze. "Rachel, we have known each other for a very long time, I don't know why you are so shy with me." Blaze had a look of worry while looking at Rachel.

"It's just that, my purpose is to serve you in gratitude of what your family did for mine, and nothing else." Rachel said.

"Rachel, you don't serve me, we help each other, it's different." Blaze left her fork over the table for a moment. "You are my best friend, a sister to me, and that's all, you don't know how it hurts when you call me your highness or something like that."

A tear went down through Rachel's cheek. "I'm sorry."

Blaze put her hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Just call me Blaze, I ask you to see me the way I see you, the way it is, we are sisters, Rachel, I need you to believe that, and that you aren't and had never been my servant, you help me with my duties, you make this wonderful food, but it's because we are a team, a strong team."

Rachel chuckled and cleaned the tear from her face. "Thank you, your…" She sighed. "Thank you Blaze." She smiled and hugged Blaze.

Blaze hugged her back. "It's nothing, sis." She broke the hug. "Come on, let's try your wonderful pancakes before they get cold."

"They are not that great." Rachel said.

"Because you haven't tasted them, am I wrong?" Blaze asked.

"I usually don't taste the food I cook to you, I just eat something from the cupboard in the afternoon." Rachel answered.

"That is over, Rachel, from now we will eat and do everything together, as a family." Blaze said.

Something came to Rachel's mind before trying her food. "Speaking of family, where is Spark?" She said.

Blaze sighed. "You know him, he must be exploring the kingdom."

After a couple of minutes, they finished eating their pancakes. "Wonderful like always." Blaze said.

Rachel nodded. "I have to admit it, I'm very good at this."

They both laughed briefly. "Any news? Please say no." Blaze took a sip from her glass of milk.

Rachel sighed. "People from the town of Lumbre have reported some conflicts near the mining zone."

"Well they have autonomy, it's up to the governor I guess." Blaze said.

"The matter is that the reports indicate possible slavery, and the code says that in that cases the queen must…" Rachel was interrupted.

"Interfere." Blaze sighed. "Alright then, can you prepare a vehicle for the afternoon please?"

Rachel stood up and nodded. "Sure Blaze." She took the plates and the cutlery from the table and went to the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2: Birth Of Power

Spark the raccoon, son of Blaze the cat and Mel the raccoon, was walking through the market that was a few blocks away from the castle of Sol, the capital town of the Kingdom of Sol. He was just watching the market stalls and what they were selling, there was food, furniture, clothes, all types of stuff to buy. He was on his twenties, he was wearing a pair of boots and fingerless gloves, his fur was orange like his father's. While he was glancing at a random market stall, he noticed that two men, one wolf and a lynx, were robbing an elderly female mole her baskets with food. Spark ran towards them with anger and tackled them both.

Spark stood up and gave the old woman her baskets. "Thank you good man." She said with gratefulness, and left quickly.

The thieves stood up and the wolf quickly held Spark's arms from behind and the lynx began to punch his face. "What do we have here? The royal hero?" He kept punching his face, then he started to punch his stomach, he did so several times until the wolf let go off Spark's arms and he fell to the ground, coughing and spitting blood, groaning with pain.

The wolf kicked his face while trying to get up, making him fall to the dirt in a blink. "We are not finished yet idiot!" The wolf yelled.

Spark was panting over the ground, he noticed that his hands began to hurt and groaned.

The lynx laughed. "This has just begun." He raised his fist to the air and before he could even hit him, Spark let out a great scream of pain and a big amount of fire came out from his hands like an explosion, making the ground to rumble and the people to run, he wanted it to stop but the fire was still strong, he couldn't resist the pain so he fainted and after a brief moment his hands stopped shooting fire.

Spark was laying unconscious on the ground, his gloves had turned into ashes, the thieves' corpses were laying in front of him, still on fire. People had evacuated the market, a considerable portion of it was destroyed by the flames.

When all of the flames disappeared from the place, the royal guard arrived, they wore black suits and dark helmets that covered their faces entirely, and one of them recognized Spark. "The prince!" Two guards ran quickly towards him and lifted him up, they carried him and returned to the castle along the other guards.

Hours later, Spark was still unconscious, on the bed of his room, and Blaze was standing next to it, then she sat on the edge and stroked his forehead. "Son, forgive me, for the doom I have inherited to you."

Spark gasped and woke up suddenly, making Blaze to quickly stand up from the bed. He looked at his surroundings and sighed with relief. "That was the worst nightmare I ever had, mom."

Blaze turned her gaze to the floor, and shook her head. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Spark noticed that his gloves had disappeared and his hands were still hurting a little bit, then he looked at Blaze worriedly. "No, no please tell me this isn't happening."

"Calm down son, it wasn't your fault." Blaze said.

Spark began to cry. "Tell me I didn't kill those guys." He covered his face with shame and sadness.

Blaze placed her hand on his head. "I passed through the same thing you are feeling right now, you know the story…"

Spark interrupted her with his face still covered. "Did you kill, mom? Tell me."

Blaze sighed. "No son, I know you are scared and frustrated but…"

"So why don't you just shut up and leave me alone?!" He had quit his hands from his face and pointed at her. "This is your fault! I'm a phenomenon thanks to you! And a killer!" Spark stood up from the bed and left his room after hitting the door.

"Spark! Come here right now!" Blaze yelled.

Spark ran downstairs and left the castle by the principal door, he stopped running when he arrived at the forest that was behind the surroundings of the castle.


	3. Chapter 3: Road To Lumbre

"Do you want me to call the guard again?" Rachel asked, she was sitting next to Blaze on a bench outside of her room.

Blaze shook her head. "Don't worry, he is just shocked, we will wait until he calms down and put his thoughts together."

Rachel nodded. "Oh, I almost forgot, the car is ready, just tell me and we will head to Lumbre."

"Thanks Rachel." Blaze remained silent for a brief moment, then she stood up from the bench. "Better sooner than later, I want to solve this before it gets worse."

"Sure." Rachel stood up and went downstairs with Blaze. "The chauffeur and two knights will accompany us, it that okay?"

They arrived to the main door. "Perfect." Blaze answered and opened the door, a car was waiting for them, the chauffeur, a white male tiger, was standing next to the door of the black car and he opened it to let Rachel and Blaze enter the car. Behind it, another car was ready, the one for the knights.

Blaze and Rachel were both sitting on the back seats. "What's the plan?" Rachel said while they were en route to the town of Lumbre.

"To check if the reports were true." Blaze said. "If we discover something suspicious I will remove Frederic from his charge and sent the responsible to prison."

"Why will you, uhm, fire him?" Rachel asked.

"I have the right to remove any governor if he or she doesn't make the law to be obeyed, and if all of this is true, I will undoubtedly do it." Blaze answered.

"And what happens if you…" Rachel preferred to stay quiet.

"What is it, Rachel?" Blaze said.

"Well, there have been lots of crimes here on the capital, can anyone remove you as queen? I would hate to be alone here." Rachel said.

Blaze sighed. "I am trying to solve those things, believe me, and don't worry, this is all about hierarchy, I´m not going anywhere."

"Good." Rachel said in a low tone.

Blaze kept talking while looking through the window. "I just want this kingdom to have justice, hope and peace, and just look at it, drowning in crime."

Rachel glanced at her. "Sorry, if my question was not appropriate."

Blaze glanced her back. "It's okay, I appreciate your honesty, you are right indeed, I'm not doing a good job, but to fix all of my kingdom, I must fix each one of its towns, and I'll start with Lumbre."

Both of the cars had arrived to the desert town of Lumbre, the various shops and buildings were all like cabins, most of the people wore hats and extravagant dresses, there were plenty of pubs and people transported themselves with bicycles.

The cars left the downtown and headed towards the governor's office. The two knights got out of their car first, they dressed similarly to the guards, but they had more experience and authority, then the chauffeur opened the door so Blaze and Rachel could exit the car.

The knights walked next to Blaze, then she and Rachel went up the pair of stairs that lead to the entrance, alongside them. Blaze knocked the door four times. "Frederic, it's Blaze, we need to talk."

"Coming." A voice said from the inside, then the door was opened by a male squirrel, he was wearing a pair of boots, jeans, a black shirt and a black hat. He also wore dark glasses. "Your highness, please come in." He extended his hand towards the inside of the office and let Blaze and the knights to get inside, then he stopped Rachel from trying to get in. "Sorry beauty, only officials."

Rachel glanced at Blaze from the outside, Blaze sighed, then nodded. "Alright." Rachel said and went down the stairs.

Frederic closed the door, then he sat down in front of his desktop, which was full of little statues that resembled folkloric creatures, he also had paintings of similar things hanging on the walls. "So." He exhaled and drank from his glass of beer. "Why this delightful visit of yours, my queen."

"I'll be straight, there have been several reports of slavery here, from your town, can you explain this?" Blaze crossed her arms giving him a serious look.

"Me?!" Frederic pointed at himself. "Of course not."

"I didn't say it was you." Blaze raised an eyebrow.

Frederic made up a chuckle. "Sorry, I'll explain myself." He coughed nervously. "I won't ever permit Lumbre, my town, my birthplace, my home to suffer any kind of injustice, your highness."

Blaze nodded sarcastically. "I believe you Fred, but, please, can you give us a tour to the mines?"

Frederic chuckled. "You won't want to get your precious slippers to get all dirty…"

"It's an order." Blaze interrupted him.

Frederic remained silent for a few seconds, then he drank the last from his beer. "Okay, no problem then." He stood up. "I'll meet you over there."


	4. Chapter 4: Son Of Fire

Spark was sitting on a rock in front of a little river, watching the water moving through it's rocks path and trying to calm down his mind, inhaling and exhaling repeatedly, speaking to himself at times. "I'm not a monster." He took another deep breath. "Neither a phenomenon." He exhaled again.

Spark had closed his eyes and began to focus all of his senses on the forest around him, he smelled the fresh air, felt the breeze stroking his face and heard the sound of the river. After a couple of minutes, he opened his eyes and felt relaxed, before a feeling of guilt came to his mind. "Mom." He whispered to himself. "It's not your fault."

"Admirable." A voice said inside Spark's mind.

Spark gasped and fell from the rock to a bunch of dry leaves, confused and scared. "Who the…?"

The voice laughed. "Same reaction as her."

"Her?" Spark said.

"Your mother, Blaze." The voice's volume got higher. "The journey has begun."

Everything around him disappeared suddenly and he found himself laying on emptiness and darkness. "What journey?! The heck is…" He blinked strongly to see if he was dreaming, but when he reopened his eyes he was now inside of a temple, surrounded by hanging lamps and a sky of fire that could be seen by the building's skylight. He stood up with fear and rage. "What journey?!" He yelled, demanding an answer.

"A journey to yourself." The voice answered.

"This is insane!" Spark tried to find a way out, but he was over a platform surrounded by lava.

"Two of only a few, you and your mother share this beautiful inheritance." The voice then began to materialize on an old yellow wolf, burning on fire and using a red robe. "A guardian, worthy of the duty to protect two worlds."

Spark looked at him. "Two what?"

"The world of the non gifted, and the Power Dimension." The old wolf approached him.

Spark took a few steps backwards. "Who are you?"

"My name is Allirb, guardian of Erif, the place where your power comes from." Allirb said.

"Where are we?" Spark asked.

"The sacred temple of Erif." Allirb projected a screen-like vision in front of Spark using his hand.

The vision showed Blaze at a young age practicing her pyrokinesis inside of the temple, with Allirb as her master. Spark looked amazed. "Is she my mother?"

"On her early years of training, the best apprentice I have ever had." Allirb stopped the projection. "Honestly, I think you will become better."

"Better? By killing people and destroying markets?" Spark argued.

Allirb sighed and turned around. "You know it wasn't your fault, this is just an excuse to decline your destiny."

Spark chuckled. "Destiny, destiny, all I'm hearing from you is non sense."

"We are the only ones who can teach you how to control your power." Allirb made a bridge out of nowhere, a flamed bridge, and walked over it, heading towards a statue of a female cougar that seemed to be wearing a long dress and had a symbol on her upper arm.

"Hey! Are you listening?!" Spark said with confusion.

Allirb whispered some words on an unknown language to the statue, then he took a step backwards from it. "I want you to meet someone."

"Yes a statue, so wha…" Spark's eyes widened when the woman represented in the statue walked from its inside like a ghost and floated down to the ground gently.

"The new guardian." The woman said, her body was covered in flames the same way as Allirb's, her dress was glowing red and it slided over the ground at every step because of its longitude. She reached Spark and stroked his cheek with one hand, making him nervous. "You have it." She said.

Spark could barely think while seeing her beauty. "Uhm…you…your…name?"

"I am Zul, leader of the Guard of Erif, your path to discover your true self." Zul said.

"What's up with that tattoo?" Spark asked after noticing the symbol on her arm.

"It represents my authority as the leader of the Guard, Allirb had his own years ago." Zul answered.

"And that weird statue thing?" Spark asked.

"Other privilege for the leader, a personal portal, to travel here when needed." Zul got behind Spark and put her hands on his head.

Spark gasped. "Hey!, what are you…" The great peace he was feeling all of a sudden kept him from finishing his phrase.

Zul started to sing on other language, keeping her hands over Spark's head and focusing on the moment, but Spark could understand her words while being on that sleepy state. "Son of fire, son of hope, son of peace, son of justice, I'm giving you, the beginning of your path, to fulfill your destiny, and Erif's, by becoming a guardian, you will live to protect and respect Erif, the Power Dimension and its people, for life to be in safe hands." She began to feel a strange tie with him, one of affection, something uncommon on those ceremonies, she ignored it and kept saying her phrases. "Now, I name you apprentice of the guard." She slowly quit her hands from his head.

Spark opened his eyes and felt dizzy. "Wow, that, I saw, wow." He recovered after a moment. "This, is this my purpose?"

Allirb and Zul nodded, then Spark's hands were burning on fire. "It's time to begin, son of Erif." Zul said.


	5. Chapter 5: The Mines

The knight's car and the royal car moved through the desert, Rachel was thinking about Frederic. "I don't trust that man." She told Blaze.

"Neither do I." Blaze responded. "Let's find out who he really is."

Plenty of minutes later, they arrived outside of the mining zone, where Frederic was already waiting for them, they got out of the car with the chauffeur's help, then Blaze walked towards Frederic. "Welcome, your highness, to the center of our lives here in Lumbre, come on, let me show you the chief of this stuff." Frederic walked towards a wooden tower that had a little office on the top, followed by Blaze. He climbed the stairs alongside her, until they reached the office. "Your majesty, this is Geoff, Geoff, the queen of Sol."

"It's an honor, miss." Geoff, who was a male badger, made a small reverence lowering his head. "I'm the one who makes things work here."

Blaze nodded with a subtle smile. "And I bet you do an excellent job, Geoff, but, we have some reports that imply some forms of slavery here on your facility."

Geoff coughed. "I…" He gazed Frederic for a second, who instantly returned him a serious gaze of warning. "Uhm, well that's impossible you know because it's against the code and you know we actually pay everybody no one is starving or dying so…"

"Geoff!" Frederic said in a rude way, then he sighed. "What my fellow here wants to say is that this facility creates dozens of jobs and maintains lots of families, our families."

Blaze didn't say anything and glanced at the mines, then she noticed something strange, an armored man threatening a group of workers and hitting one male cat with a metallic stick. "Explain that." She said trying to control her emotions of rage.

"Wha…oh, well, good work requires a firm hand, isn't it?" Frederic said while watching the same thing as Blaze.

Blaze stood firm and turned her gaze to Frederic. "I have seen enough now."

Frederic chuckled. "Of what, my queen." He looked at her.

"Frederic Willis, you are officially out of your charge as governor of Lumbre." Blaze said. "And the Kingdom of Sol is arresting you for slavery."

Frederic exhaled, with his hands on his hips, looking at the floor. "Okay." He took his glasses off. "The thing is, I don't want to do that." He said.

Blaze laughed with confusion. "Excuse me?"

Frederic took a remote control from one of his pockets and pressed a button, then a red laser appeared on Blaze's forehead. "We are free from you, Blaze."

Rachel gasped. "Blaze, someone is aiming at you!"

"You can't do this, Fred, your town is part of Sol, so you get consequences." Blaze said pretending to be calmed.

Frederic walked past Blaze and Rachel and climbed down a pair of stairs, then he glanced at them. "See you later, Blaze." He then climbed down all the way to the ground and walked towards his pick-up truck, then he accelerated and left the place.

Rachel got nervous. "Blaze, he escaped and they are still aiming at you."

"I will come after you, all of you." Blaze said to Geoff and climbed down the stairs.

Rachel stood there momentaneously, shocked and scared. "Uhm, bye, or I mean…" She sighed. "What your queen said." Rachel said to Geoff before following Blaze.

Blaze had got inside the car, then Rachel entered in yelling at her. "You just let him go! He literally threatened you…"

Blaze put a finger on Rachel's mouth, then she quit it. "There is nothing we can do right now, Rachel, not without a plan." She sighed. "He won this time, his last time."

Rachel took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to relax, she sighed after feeling more calm. "I understand." She looked outside of the car's window. "I am afraid, Blaze, for you."

Blaze was also glancing at the desert's mountains from her window. "Don't worry sis, he doesn't know what's coming."


	6. Chapter 6: The New Guardian

Zul was walking around the platform teaching stuff to Spark. "The Power Dimension, a world of capacities, entities and secrets kept away from the non gifted, with five known realms, each one free to give or not give."

"What do you mean by known?" Spark asked.

"This dimension is so rich, yet ambiguous that no one really knows what other realms exist, apart from the five, Erif, the realm of day and light, our realm, Krad, the realm of night and darkness, Kcor, the realm of structure and strength, Eria, the realm of peace and hope, and Ekil, the realm of mind and intelligence." Zul said.

Spark was confused. "Well, I'll need to study a lot."

Zul chuckled. "This is our world, and Erif our land, where all of us are gifted, but only a few of us can be guardians, the ancestors decided to give us a purpose with their gifts."

"So, every realm gives these powers to people to be guardians of them?" Spark asked.

Zul sighed. "Unfortunately, not all of the ancestors saw it that way, in fact, the other four realms don't give their power to their own people, they all made some kind of coalition, they used it just as an experiment."

"Who?" Spark asked curiously.

"For example, Ekil, they just choose random individuals exclusively from the non gifted world and observe, they never interfere, not even when lives are at risk." Zul said.

"The mind one?" Spark said.

Zul nodded and smiled. "You are learning, normally, those gifted by Ekil develop various skills, including telekinesis."

"Oh, my mom told me about a friend of hers that could do that, she said he disappeared." Spark said, then he gasped after something came to his mind. "Maybe he is here!"

Zul shook her head. "The leaders of Ekil are very strict on bringing gifted ones to our dimension, I had never heard of a single case."

Spark glanced at the ground with disappointment. "I see."

"I was born here on Erif twenty three years ago, we came from guardian families, me and Allirb, and we have inherited this purpose, same as you, we have always been guarding Erif and the non gifted world, since the ancestors." Zul said.

"Another question, uhm, from exactly what are you guarding it?" Spark asked.

"All kinds of threats, things that put in danger both dimensions, our people." Zul answered.

"So, you mean that this dimension is populated?" Spark asked.

"They are not huge countries, even cities like in the non gifted world, we like to call ourselves a big community, we, the guardians, are the rulers of our land." Zul responded. "Do you want to know your people?"

Spark was almost speechless. "I'm, well, I am not a ruler, you know."

"You will learn." Zul extended her hand.

Spark took her hand, then they appeared on a balcony outside of the temple, where Allirb was waiting for them, it faced towards a semi-spherical structure with little windows all over it, the building's roof was like a flat park, with a statue of a flame on the center, the flamed sky covered the city.

"People of Erif." Zul said, her voice echoed on the entire realm, then all of the people went to the roof from the inside to listen Zul's words."

"Spark, future guardian of Erif." Zul pointed her hands towards him.

All of the people began to clap and yell with joy, Spark smiled and glanced at them, now feeling proud of his gift.


	7. Chapter 7: Plans

Blaze was sitting with her legs crossed on the grass of a garden outside of the castle, with fountains and shaped trees, she was making up a plan to take down Frederic, who was a smart and careful person.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked as she arrived to the garden.

Blaze shook her head, then she patted the space of grass next to her.

Rachel understood and sat down next to Blaze, crossing her legs.

Blaze sighed. "Have you ever felt like if you don't belong where you are?"

Rachel got confused. "Uhm, sorry but I'm not sure how to answer that."

"What am I doing here Rachel? These last years I've been failing with everything, my kingdom, my people, abandoned by my incompetence, they don't deserve that, no one does." Blaze said.

Rachel hesitated a little, but then she put a hand on her shoulder. "It was Frederic, not you."

Blaze chuckled. "It's not only that, I, I think I don't belong here, you know, the power."

"But you've done a wonderful job…" Rachel was interrupted.

"Don't lie to me!" Blaze yelled. "I have brought just pain and death to this kingdom, I don't even have the right to call it mine."

Rachel moved away her hand from her gently. "Everybody makes mistakes, Blaze."

"That doesn't make me feel better, I just want to finish Frederic and move on." Blaze said.

"Do you mean, leaving?" Rachel asked.

Blaze's voice began to break. "I…" A tear fell down from her eye to the grass. "I'm afraid I don't care about others." She started to cry softly.

"You do care about others, you love your son, you are always there for me." Rachel said.

Blaze tried to be strong, but she could barely talk because of the sadness that took over her emotions. "I failed, Rachel, I failed my people, I failed my son, I failed you." She layed her head on both of her hands, crying with despair.

Rachel wrapped her arm around her shoulders, and tried to calm her down. "This is just an obstacle, a mere problem, and each problem has a solution, as you have said, solve this and move on, either it means being a queen or following another path, I will always be with you, no one can take that away from us, and I learned that today."

Blaze lifted up her head a little bit, then she cleaned the tears from her face and looked at Rachel with hope and gratitude. "Guess you are right." She smiled. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Rachel asked.

"I yelled at you, a sister should never do that." Blaze said.

"Don't worry." Rachel said. "So, what's the plan?"

"Frederic has shooters all around the desert, maybe on more places, we don't have the technology to know how many they are and where they could be hiding." Blaze stood up, followed by Rachel.

"Who has that tech?" Rachel asked.

"I have a friend on Southern Island, she has some kind of workshop that develops high tech devices for private companies." Blaze said, then she walked towards the back door.

Rachel followed her. "We will visit an island?" She said with a hopeful tone.

"We will visit an island." Blaze said.

Meanwhile, Frederic was sitting on his chair with his legs laying over the desktop, then the door of his office opened. "Boss." A male voice came from behind the red eyed mask that was covering the face and muzzle of the armored person, who had a long, purple tail and his armor was black.

"Glad you are always in time." Frederic said. "I will add some extra to your check this week, you have done it great on the mines." The armored man stood silent. "Your welcome, please take a seat." Frederic said. The man took of his mask and sat in front on him. "You really look unfamiliar without your signature hat." Frederic said. "Well, let's get to the point, the queen knows."

"Fred screws it all up again, what a surprise." The man said.

"Be careful with your words, remember who feeds you." Frederic responded. "It was inevitable, but it doesn't matter how it happened, what is important right now is to take cautions." He sighed and moved his legs down. "Forget the mines for the moment, you have a new task."

"I'm all ears." The armored man said.

"Keep an eye on the queen." Frederic stood up and glanced at the wall. "I want to avoid this but, if she does something stupid, put a bullet on her head, I'll leave that to your criteria, Nack."

"Don't blame me if the trigger gets pulled too early, It's kind of a reflex." Nack the weasel put back his mask on after standing up, then he left the office.


	8. Chapter 8: Visions and Plots

Spark and Zul were training inside of the temple. "Dodge." Zul, now wearing a robe, had thrown a fire ball towards Spark, then he jumped and evaded it.

"I can't wait to do that." Spark said.

"Control needs discipline and concentration, now we are focusing on your reflexes." Zul shot a large flame from the palm of her hand, then Spark bent his back backwards and the flame passed over his face.

"My reflexes are fine." Spark argued.

Zul chuckled. "Patience, Spark, all at its time." She approached him and lifted her hands with the palms facing at him. "Punch them, one and one."

"Uhm, why?" Spark asked.

"To see how strong are you, come on." Zul said.

"I don't want to hurt you." Spark said.

Zul laughed mockingly. "That won't happen, believe me."

Spark sighed and clenched his fists. "Right." He inhaled and exhaled, then he hit her right hand.

"Is that all?" Zul said. "Come on, don't be afraid."

Spark hit her other hand, harder. "And now?"

Zul nodded. "Better, but keep trying, a guardian must be fast and strong, all the time." Spark began to hit her hands repeatedly, each time harder, he panted while doing so, Zul was speaking to him in the meanwhile. "We also care about trust, don't hesitate to tell us anything that bothers you or quits you peace, we are all here to help each other." Zul moved a little bit backwards by a hit. "Much better!" She praised Spark's effort.

"Hold on." Spark said after a couple of minutes, he was panting, glancing at the floor, covered in sweat.

"Nice job." Zul said. "I'm sure you'll become a guardian sooner than you think."

"Yeah." Spark panted. "Who decides that?"

"Me, of course." Zul said with a hand on her chest.

Spark sat down on the floor. "I'm exhausted, I need to go home."

Zul nodded. "Sure, training for today is over anyway, see you tomorrow."

"See you…wait, how I'm supposed to leave and come back?" Spark asked.

"Just think about the place where you want to be, focus on it and you will be there in no time." Zul answered.

"Right, alright, well, see you tomorrow." Spark thought about the castle, his room, he concentrated on that image and suddenly he appeared there.

"Wow." Spark said quietly. "I love this." He layed on his bed placing his hands behind his head and glanced at the ceiling. "Zul." He thought. All he could see on his mind was her, blue eyes, brown fur, the flamed dress she wore the first time he met her drove him crazy, her voice and her gaze, she was unique for him. "So strange." He said to himself, then he closed his eyes, lots of things were floating on his thoughts so he struggled to sleep for about an hour, then he focused on Zul again, that gave him peace and finally he made it."

Zul was resting her crossed arms on the edge of her home's balcony, looking at the flamed sky, remembering the vision she had on Spark's ceremony, it was him and her looking at each other deeply on the eyes and holding their raised hands with their fingers interlaced, a flamed flower floating on the air, their foreheads touching while taking a rest, and a broken golden sword. "What are you telling me Erif, please, give me wisdom to understand, reason to act." She thought.

Meanwhile, over a building in the realm of Kcor, a place with crystallized structures and a green sky, Ytud, a black furred male dog, member of the coalition, was talking with his brother Drah, also a dog, but red furred. "My patience is done, brother." Ytud put on the cap of his robe. "Everything must proceed."

"We need the coalition's permit first." Drah said.

"I answer to my will, but what about you, brother?" Ytud asked.

Drah sighed. "My support is with you, but if you get in trouble with the coalition, I'll not defend you." Drah responded.

Ytud nodded. "Seems fair to me." He turned around. "The realm of Erif will suffer, and the Power Dimension will be a whole again."

"Five realms, one power to unchain the hidden realities." Drah said. "When do we attack?"

Ytud made dark and opaque crystals to grow from the palm of his hand, then he smirked. "Now."


	9. Chapter 9: Trip And Duel

"The jet is ready your highness." A guard said and pointed at the plane with his hand.

Blaze nodded. "Thank you." She went up the stairs and Rachel stood hesitant in front of the first stair. "Come on." Blaze said.

"Uhm, I've never flown before." Rachel looked at her with her frightened gaze.

Blaze rolled her eyes. "It's fine Rachel, I promise we'll have no issue." She extended her hand and helped Rachel to go upstairs.

They entered the plane, the pilot was already on board and they sat down at the middle, where a small table divided their luxurious seats.

"Beautiful!" Rachel touched the leather of her seat.

Blaze pressed a button on a small pad over the table. "We are ready to go."

"Sure your majesty." The pilot's voice came from a small speaker, seconds later the jet began to ascend.

Rachel was inhaling and exhaling fast and repeatedly. "What have I done what have I done, what have I done…" She closed her eyes and started to squeeze the seat's leather strongly.

"Rachel." Blaze said. "Your hand." She extended her hand over the table. Rachel, with her eyes still closed, extended her hand and Blaze held it. "I am here with you Rachel, don't be afraid, breathe deeply, think about the castle, the forest, the night, get lost in there, everything is alright."

Rachel's breathing began to slow down. "Forest." She whispered while trying to make a vivid image of that place.

Blaze began to help her. "The dry leaves covering the ground, a clear river with fish, birds singing beautiful melodies, the sun rays revealing the green of the pines, with their thick trunks."

Rachel smiled and focused on the scene that Blaze had helped her to create inside of her mind, she opened her eyes after a couple of minutes. "Thank you." She said.

Blaze let go off her hand and just nodded. "Drinks." She said and stood up to head to the kitchen. She came back with two cups of wine and sat down.

Rachel took her cup and smelled the wine. "Good." She said.

Blaze sighed. "I think we deserve some relaxation you know."

Rachel took a sip of her wine. "I couldn't agree more."

They both laughed and continued drinking.

Nack the weasel was crouching behind a rock on a little mountain next to the castle, looking at the royal jet flying away through his binoculars. "You better run, I'll be waiting for you." Nack said to himself. He put down his binoculars and activated a communicator by pressing a device on his wrist. "Boss, she is gone."

"What? Where?" Frederic said from the other side.

"I don't know, she got on a jet." Nack answered.

Frederic sighed. "I guess we have to use this chance to gather the mineral for The Pillar."

Nack got closer to his communicator. "Are they coming!?"

"Yeah, soon, you come here and help me with this or they won't be happy." Frederic said.

"And Blaze?" Nack asked.

"We'll wait until her return, we must have our mouths shut to avoid any trouble with these people, understand?" Frederic said.

"Sure boss." Nack said.

"Alright, see you at the office." Frederic stopped the call.

Nack stood up and turned on his old airbike, the Marvelous Queen, then he heard something behind him, he turned around and chuckled. "I was starting to think the queen should've hired more competent servants."

"I'm a knight of Sol." The knight was pointing his gun directly at Nack's head. "Your hands behind your head."

"Oh, a knight, how could I even offend you sir you see this must be a misunderstanding…" Nack took his gun in a split of second and shot the knight on the chest, making him to fall lifeless on the ground.

"Tyro." Nack got on his vehicle and left the place.


	10. Chapter 10: Destiny

Spark woke up and stretched, then he yawned and got out of his bed, his thirst made him want to go to the kitchen, but first he walked towards the large window on the wall of his room, it was late and the stars were already showing up.

He just stood there, looking at the horizon, remembering his past with nostalgia, memories of him playing with his dad outside of the castle with an old ball, laughing and kicking it euphorically, it was like that almost everyday, but sometimes his dad gave him advices.

Spark sighed and tried to remember the phrase that his dad told him the day before his dead, Mel the raccoon was laying sick on the bed of the principal bedroom, his beard was thick and dirty, Blaze was taking his hand while sitting on the bed's edge, and Spark was standing in front of them, looking directly at his dad's tired eyes.

"Son." Mel said. "Come closer to hear one last advice from your old man."

Spark walked a little bit closer to him to hear what he had to say. "Yes dad."

"Sweetheart, can you leave us alone for a moment, please?" Mel told Blaze, she nodded and exited the room, then he took Spark's hand. "When I saw your mother for the first time, I fell in love immediately, don't know why." He chuckled. "I didn't even know her, she was just my queen and I thought it was a dumb dream, but one day I decided to try at least, I managed to talk to her one day she had visited my town and convinced her to eat with me and my family, of course the knights joined us to, it was magical, we talked all day and I discovered I had lots of things in common with her, so did she." He coughed violently. "Sorry, uhm, we were young and I think we both felt like, outside of our lives so we began to meet more frequently, we turned into the other's escape, an oasis, at least I saw her that way, everything happened very quickly, but it was true, then we got married and time later you came to our lives."

Spark didn't say anything for a moment, a tear formed in the corner of his eye, then he spoke. "Don't leave, please."

Mel shook his head gently. "It's my time son, and that's exactly what I'm trying to show you with this, destiny is imminent, many people see it as a bad thing because they feel weak by not having other alternative, but if you think about it it's beautiful, it's an invaluable gift, you still don't know what it is, but in my case, your mom and you were my wonderful, unexpected gifts, so I beg you to accept and receive whatever your destiny will be, with love and joy, just as I did, don't let anyone or even yourself to keep you away from your destiny, we are here to make great things son, and I'm sure you'll do more than me." Mel let go off Spark's hand and glanced at the ceiling. "Just move on son, and don't bring me with you, I've finished, you haven't even started."

Spark returned from his thoughts and exited to the hallway that headed to the stairway, while walking downstairs that last phrase he remembered was sticked into his attention, he didn't even realize he was already taking a glass from the shelf, he poured water on the glass with a jug and took a long sip from it, then he sighed and looked through the little windows that were over the sink. "Destiny is imminent." He closed his eyes and thought of Erif, then he opened them and he was standing on the park over the spherical building where Erif's people lived, but something was wrong, the building was covered in black crystals and lots of corpses pierced by that same dark and sharp material were laying all over the place, people screaming their families names, some flames were also present. "What the heck?" Spark said to himself, then he saw Zul a few meters away, she was covering her mouth with horror and anguish, looking at her destroyed community, next to her was Allirb, who kept a straight face.

Spark ran towards them. "Zul, what is this?" He asked.

Zul looked at him, trying to contain her sadness. "Kcor, that happened." She couldn't help it anymore and began to cry, she sat down on the ground and covered her face with her arms crossed.

"It's war." Allirb glanced at Spark. "And it has been lost already."

"Lost?" Spark asked.

"They know about the prophecy, my fears about The Coalition were true, it was all planned." Allirb responded.

"What are you talking about?" Spark walked closer to Allirb.

Allirb sighed. "We, the guardians of Erif, refused to be part of The Coalition a long time ago, to prevent the prophecy to be fulfilled, five realms, one power to unchain the hidden realities." He switched his gaze towards Spark. "We were making some time, and now we've run out of it."

Zul stood up. "I'll fight, we will fight."

"It's four against one Zul, we lost." Allirb started to walk away.

"I thought you were a guardian." Spark said.

Allirb stopped walking suddenly, then he glanced at Spark over his shoulder. "It's true, we are guardians of Erif, now we got nothing to protect." He left them.

Zul was disappointed by seeing him giving up, and began to feel defeated. "Alone, now I'm all alone." Suddenly, she felt a grip on her hand, then she turned her head gently and saw Spark smiling at her.

"I'm here, I know I am new but I won't give up on my destiny just because a dumb coalition wants to." Spark said.

Zul let a tear of hope travel through her cheek, then she smiled back. "I…will teach you, but I'll need your help for something."

Spark nodded. "Whatever you want."

"Find all the adult survivors and bring them to the temple, we are striking back." Zul said with determination.


	11. Chapter 11: Friends And Bosses

The royal jet was arriving to Southern Island, Rachel had both hands sticked on the window. "I had only read about it, the sea is, so huge, so blue!" She was hypnotized by the moonlight's reflection on the water of the sea.

Blaze walked towards the window next to Rachel. "Like the first time I saw it, and that's Southern Island." She put her finger on the glass pointing at the island.

"Amazing." Rachel was looking at the little technological town that was at the center of the island.

"We have been authorized your highness." The pilot said from the cabin. The jet landed on the island's airstrip. Blaze and Rachel got down the plane and headed towards the island's town.

While walking, Rachel was admiring the scene, tons of palm trees with coconuts hanging under their leaves, small hills with large grass and monochromatic buildings with solar panels on their roofs, the town was very practical, everything could be accessed easily from everywhere, hospitals, schools, markets and restaurants. "So, where is this, workshop?"

"It's been years since I last came here, but it can't be too far." Blaze answered, then she and Rachel gasped after a small explosion happened in front of a garage a few meters ahead. "Yeah, I think we are close." They ran to the place and saw someone coughing inside a cloud of smoke, then she came out of it.

"Oh my, that was…" It turned out to be Marine working on her workshop. "Blaze! Oh sorry uhm your highness what a…"

"Blaze is fine, you had always known that, Marine, trouble getting the job done?" Blaze said.

Marine coughed some smoke. "That isn't important, don't want to sound rude but what brings you to the island?" She cleaned some dirt from her forehead.

"Can we talk inside your workshop? Its delicate." Blaze said.

"Oh sure! Come in." Marine let them pass to her workshop, it looked way bigger on the inside that on the outside, there were some people testing devices and the room's aesthetic was entirely blue with LED lights illuminating it, then she closed the garage's electric door by pulling a small lever that was screwed to the wall. "Who is your friend?" She asked.

"I'm Rachel, Blaze's assist…" Rachel got interrupted by Blaze.

"My sister." Blaze said. "You redecorated isn't it?"

Marine chuckled. "You got me, I was tired of the classic, industrial look it had so I modernized it, you know, now its more like a lab of some sort."

"It's amazing." Rachel said.

"Thanks, I appreciate that, uhm, it may be a good idea to go to my place instead because these guys aren't going anywhere." Marine went up a stairway and put her hand on a recognition pad on a door made of glass.

"Sure, where is your place?" Blaze asked.

The glass door opened. "Ahead of this door, come on." Marine walked beyond the modern entrance.

Blaze and Rachel followed her by going upstairs and entered, they looked even more amazed than with the lab. "Is this for real?! I'm sure I'm going to hire you as the royal designer." Blaze said.

The small apartment over the lab had a minimalist yet functional design, black furniture, dark ceiling and floor, glass tables and some abstract paintings sticked to the white walls. "What can I say? I needed a place to get lost while not leaving my job, so I thought, why not living here?" Marine went to the kitchen. Do you want some water, juice, wine?" She took one glass from the shelf.

"I'm good, thanks." Rachel said.

"I'll have some juice." Blaze stood up and walked where Marine, who poured what Blaze asked for on another glass and gave it to her. They returned to the living room and Blaze sat down next to Rachel, Marine sat down in a couch in front of them. "Okay, I will say this gently…"

"They want to kill Blaze." Rachel interrupted.

"What? Who?" Marine asked.

"Rachel!" Blaze scolded her friend.

"We must hurry up!" Rachel responded.

Marine sighed. "Do you have any idea of who might be behind this?"

"Frederic, the governor of Lumbre, he threatened me and now I can't do nothing, we think he has snipers all over the desert." Blaze answered, then she took a sip of juice.

"And we can't locate them." Rachel added.

Marine chuckled. "Until now, wait here." She reopened the glass door and went down to the lab.

Blaze and Rachel gazed at each other with confused faces, then Marine returned in a hurry.

"The Locator, our most advanced tracking device." Marine was holding a watch with a circular screen displaying a radar.

"But will it track all of them?" Rachel asked.

"Of course, you see, this watch has a special thermal detector built in, it locates anyone at huge distances, see these red dots?" Marine got the watch closer to them. "They are everyone on the island, you can adjust the distance too." Marine said, then she put the watch over the table and sat again on the couch. "It's all yours, well, actually not, it's our prototype so I'm just borrowing it to you."

"I'm okay with that." Blaze took the watch and put it on.

"It suits you." Rachel said.

"I will show you all of the functions tomorrow, you must be exhausted." Marine said.

Blaze turned her gaze from the watch to Marine. "What? Oh we don't want to cause trouble, maybe…"

"I insist, I have two more rooms here, it's late and I know you need real rest." Marine argued.

Blaze sighed. "Thanks Marine, I knew I could count with you."

"Like everyone." Marine stood up and went to the kitchen to take a frying pan, then she turned the stove on. "I'm making dinner, you must be hungry too."

"I would be lying if I deny that." Blaze followed her to the kitchen. "Let me help you." She helped Marine organizing some utensils.

Rachel stood up from the couch. "Uhm, Blaze, I would like to go out and explore the island." She said from the living room.

"You can go." Blaze smirked. "Just be careful."

"Don't worry, this is the safest place you'll ever see." Marine said while cracking some eggs.

Rachel nodded like if anyone would have noticed it and walked towards the glass door. "The door is…"

"Door, open." Marine's command made the glass door to open.

Impressed, Rachel exited the apartment and went downstairs to the lab. "The…" She yelled.

"Garage, open." The garage's electric door opened the same way as the glass door, and Rachel walked out from the building.

"All doors, close." Marine said and both the garage's door and the glass door closed.

Blaze laughed. "You are full of surprises."

"I like your friend, she is very, curious." Marine put some pepper over the eggs on the frying pan. "I find that quality rarely on people these days."

"Yes, she enjoys to discover new things and spending time with herself, the whole trip was like a dream made reality to her." Blaze said while putting away the egg basket.

Rachel had arrived to the beach, her mind was amazed by the vastness of the ocean, she decided to take off her shoes to feel the sand touching her feet while walking, she enjoyed to feel the breeze stroking her face, she closed her eyes and kept walking until she felt the little waves of the ocean hitting her legs gently, she gasped a little bit by the water's coldness, but stood there for several minutes.

Frederic and Nack were in the middle of the desert standing next to their respective vehicles. "I'm freezing out." Frederic rubbed his hands fast to generate some heat."

"Say that to our bosses." Nack said.

"Take off your mask, you know these people, they talk about…" Frederic was interrupted.

"Trust, confidence yeah yeah you don't have to tell me twice." Nack took off his mask and threw it, making it to land over his airbike. "Look, I see them." He pointed towards two lights coming from a luxurious car that was approaching them.

The black car arrived and two men, a fox and a cat got out of it first, they were wearing suits, dark glasses, and earphones, then an egyptian cat, also wearing a suit but without glasses or earphones got out and walked towards the bodyguards to stand between them. "Gentlemen, I know your time is valuable, just as mine so lets get straight to the point, tell me when I will be able to bring the mineral with me, the effektium, because you haven't even contacted me to keep in touch, and I find that very rude."

"Don't worry Mr. Sundance, The Pillar will be satisfied with the quantity we are getting from the mines." Frederic said.

Mr. Sundance nodded. "What about you, weasel?"

"I have kept the area safe and free from intruders, I'm also in charge of the discipline, just as you told me." Nack extended his opened hand towards him.

Mr. Sundance chuckled. "What is it, Nack?"

"My money, I need it now." Nack said.

"Not before getting my mineral, until then, shut up and do your job." Mr. Sundance said.

Nack wanted to throw a punch at him, but Frederic took his arm firmly to stop him. "We had a deal!"

"The deal changed, and I´m the only one who decides that." Mr. Sundance sighed. "Okay gentlemen, I will trust your word, just keep in touch and get that mineral rather sooner than later." He turned around and put a hand on the fox's shoulder. "Show that weasel who is the boss here." He whispered and told the same thing to the cat, then he got in the car and his men started to punch Nack making him to fall to the ground, they kicked him repeatedly, Nack was coughing and groaning and they stopped after nearly two minutes, then they got in the luxurious vehicle and left.

Frederic opened the door of his pick up. "You should listen to me once in a while Nack, good night." Frederic got in his vehicle, then he left the place.

Nack was laying on the ground, with blood coming out of his mouth, he tried to stand up several times but the pain didn't let him. After a few minutes, he managed to stand up and get on his airbike, then he put on his mask. "One day Pillar, one day this will be over."


	12. Chapter 12: United

Spark was on the center of the building's roof, next to the flame statue. "Your attention please." He yelled. "Please, just listen, and calm down." After a couple of tries, he managed to get everyone's attention. "Thank you, I know I'm new here, I'm just learning on how to protect this realm and I know the pain and sadness you are feeling right now, your family, your homes, your lives have been destroyed by this unexpected attack, we were unprepared, but if we stay together, work together, we can defeat these people, we can be free of their plans, and I'm asking for all the adults to meet us at the temple, to show you how to control your power, how to defend Erif, we won't force you, but just try to think what you deserve and want in your lives, how can you help your realm and its people to get out of this." Spark stopped talking and walked towards a stairway that led to the temple.

"We are with you!" A group of people said loudly, then more people joined them.

Spark turned around and smiled. "Then let's keep moving."

Everyone was sitting over the temple's platform, paying attention to Zul. "People of Erif, you have been gifted since your birth, and now it´s time for you to unleash your true power, to defend your realm, you've been called to become warriors, and that's what you'll become, I promise that, so please stand up and follow my orders, before using your power, you have to learn to stay calm first." The people stood up. "Now relax your muscles, take a deep breath and after ten seconds, exhale slowly." All of them obeyed and started to do the exercise. "A calm mind, its a won battle." Zul repeated the phrase several times, Spark was among them, also doing the exercise.

After a couple of minutes, Zul changed the exercise. "Now, close your eyes, imagine everything you know that creates light and heat, the sun, a simple torch, the fire itself, now you are one with it, one with the fire, a fire that will never be gone, and it will always live within you, even after leaving your physical form." Spark did so along with the others, focusing on Zul's words.

"Now, make little circles on the air with your open hands, your palms facing at me, keep your eyes closed." Zul said and all of the people began to do so, Spark suddenly felt the pain he had felt when his power unleashed before, but this time it was softer, he could stand it and then he felt his hands burning on fire as he made circles on the air with them, he chuckled by the emotion of finally beginning to know how to control his power. In a matter of time, everyone in the temple managed to accomplish the same.

Allirb was in Kcor, speaking with Ytud and Drah. "What you've done has no name, a war it´s coming at you."

"We don't care, a greater destiny is waiting for us after this event, we'll discover what is hidden." Ytud said.

"The Coalition won't accept this kind of actions." Allirb argued.

"It already has." Drah responded. "Erif still has time to reconsider and finally become part of this great historic moment."

"Nobody knows what is beyond the Power Dimension, it was all theorized by your selfish ancestors." Allirb said.

"Say what you want Allirb, greatness is unstoppable, be part of it, or remain small." Ytud said.

Allirb just ignored them and walked away, saying one last thing. "Beware of greed and ambition, or drown inside their dark waters."

Ytud and Drah laughed mockingly, watching him leave.


	13. Chapter 13: Response

Blaze and Rachel had returned to the castle in the morning, Rachel had gone to sleep and Blaze had gone to her room to change her clothes. She had took off her purple dress and put on her old attire, a purple coat, white tights and a pair of white gloves, the attire that she wore for a long time before becoming queen, the times where she fought alongside Sonic and his team, she had also done her hair with a ponytail facing upwards, tied with a headband. She had left her crown on her bedroom.

Later, Blaze called all of the guards and knights for a meeting at the castle's garden, when everyone arrived, she began to speak. "Thank you all for coming, these days have not been the best for your queen, who has been threatened by the governor of Lumbre." Everyone started to murmur with each other with fear and surprise. "You are here, because I want you to do me a favor, protect my castle, your castle, the castle of Sol from any menace that could come, I must solve this alone."

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, then a guard fell to the ground, his head was bleeding. A group of knights surrounded Blaze to protect her, while other group glanced at every corner of their surroundings to try to find the responsible, with no success.

"Dang it!" Nack said while looking through the sight of his sniper rifle, then he stood up and put the sniper on his airbike and left the place in a hurry. He activated his communicator. "Boss, we got a problem."

"What did you do now?" Frederic asked.

"The queen is back, she had just spoke with her men and I thought she was up for something so I acted." Nack answered.

"Your point?" Frederic said.

"I killed a guard, I had no other option than leaving." Nack said.

Frederic sighed. "You failed…okay, I will tell the shooters to be in position, I need you to cover the mountain near the town's entrance, on the west because that zone is uncovered."

"Understood." Nack turned off his communicator and headed to where he was told to go.

"Surveil the kingdom, the queen needs to be safe." A knight said.

"No!" Blaze yelled. "You protect the castle, stay here."

The knight approached her. "Your highness, we must find these people!"

"I will do it." Blaze said. "I can defend myself, all of you know that, please, protect the castle."

"But, your highness, the kingdom, and you…" The knight insisted before being interrupted.

"Its an order." Blaze said. "I'm the target, not the kingdom, if I stay here there will be more deaths." Blaze entered the castle and knocked the door of Rachel's room, she opened immediately.

"Blaze, what was that sound?" Rachel said worried.

"A shot, the watch, give it to me." Blaze said.

"A shot!" Rachel walked towards a little table that was next to her bed and took Marine's watch, then she put it on Blaze's wrist. "I can't stop you, isn't it?" Rachel said.

"I'll be fine, you are in charge until my return." Blaze left the castle.

"I am in what?!" Rachel yelled after Blaze had left, then sighed and entered to her room, then she sat on her bed. "Please, come back soon." She spoke to herself.


	14. Chapter 14: Warriors And Enemies

On the night, Erif's people were already learning how to throw fireballs, along with Spark, Zul was explaining the movements to them as she did the exercise so they could mimic it. "One leg behind, other at the front, then move your arm back and throw strongly." She did so and threw a ball of fire.

Spark and the rest did the same and everyone managed to accomplish it. "Great!" Spark said.

"Now, we will learn how to shoot a large flame from the palm of our hands." Zul said. "Again, put one leg back and one at the front, move your arm back and move it slowly at the front with your hand firmly open." She shot a large flame and amazed everybody. They followed Zul's instructions and managed to shoot their own flames. "I'm so proud, and thankful with all of you, warriors, bravery, courage and determination, you've proven to have those qualities, that's what Erif needs." All of them began to clap, Zul smiled by seeing their support. "Go home, take a rest because you've earned it, and we have to be ready."

Everyone left and Spark walked towards Zul. "So, when will we attack?"

"We will wait." Zul answered.

"Wait? For what, to be attacked again?" Spark asked with confusion.

Zul sighed. "Now we can defend ourselves, the first strike was just a warning, they will come with everything they have."

"Do you think we are ready for that?" Spark asked.

"I trust my people, Spark, and more importantly, I trust you." Zul put a hand on his shoulder and smiled, then she walked away from him.

"Uhm, Zul." Spark said.

Zul turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"I can't go home, I want to stay here, to be ready for anything." Spark said.

Zul nodded. "My place has a guest room, you can stay there if you want."

"Really? I mean I don't want to cause any trouble." Spark said.

Zul chuckled. "Relax, it's alright, we need to rest for what's coming." She approached him and extended her hand towards him.

Spark grinned and took her hand, then they left the temple.

In Kcor, Ytud and Drah were planning their next attack. "Brother, fear has been planted, it's time for death to arise." Ytud said.

Drah nodded while looking at the horizon. "They will perish, because they are weak and we are strong, not a single survivor will remain."

"Are you ready to end this, brother?" Ytud asked.

"Let's make them scream." Drah answered.


	15. Chapter 15: Alliance

The full moon was illuminating the great desert, Blaze had arrived to a tunnel inside of a mountain, after walking for a few minutes trying to find a signal on the thermal watch, she decided to take a rest and sat down on the ground, still gazing at the screen of the watch. She sighed and turned her gaze to the rocky ceiling of the cave, and started to think about her plan, talking to herself silently. "Neutralize the shooters, find Frederic and arrest him, doesn't sound hard at all, you can do it Blaze, just focus and everything will be fine." She closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply, concentrating on her objectives, thinking about her son and Rachel, her family, she was doing it for them.

Blaze stood up after calming down a little bit and made a small flame to come out of the palm of her hand, then she closed her fist and threw the little fire ball to the cave's wall. "How long have I been hiding you?" She said like if she was speaking to her pyrokinesis. "It's time to wake up." She began to shoot large flames from both of her hands towards a corner of the cave, her focus was now on maintaining that fire alive, after a minute, she stopped the flames. "Welcome back, old friend." She smirked.

Suddenly, the watch detected one person below the cave. Blaze reacted fast and looked for a way to go down, she quickly found a narrow path that took to the lower cave, she walked cautiously through that little tunnel with her hand ready to fire. She slowly began to look through the exit of the tunnel, she saw Nack sitting on a wooden chair glancing through a big overture that served as a window, she stepped on a rock and cracked it, making enough sound to get Nack's attention, she gasped and ran towards a corner of that cave, successfully evading a quick shot from Nack, who was using his mask, so Blaze didn't recognize him, she was crouching on the corner, then she stood up and threw a ball of fire at Nack's arm, which made him to scream and drop his weapon, then she punched him on the face and hit his stomach with her knee, he groaned and Blaze jumped to kick his muzzle, making him to fall to the ground.

Blaze approached him and took of his mask, revealing who was behind it. "Nack?" She dropped the mask.

Nack smiled. "Your high…" He rubbed his burned hand. "Your highness, what a surprise."

Blaze sighed. "Save it, you will help me get safely to Lumbre, and arrest Frederic.

"Of course my queen, wait a minute, I don't want to." Nack crossed his arms.

Blaze made her hand to burn menacingly in front of him. "You have no choice."

"We both know that's not your style, Blaze." Nack said.

Blaze made the flames to disappear. "You are right, still, you are going to help me with this."

Nack chuckled. "Yeah? How?"

"I'm offering you a chance to get out of my kingdom without any charges." Blaze said.

"What did I do, may I ask?" Nack groaned by the pain.

"You don't fool anyone, I saw you beating people on the mines, and I have no doubt you were responsible for the death of those knights." Blaze answered.

Nack looked at her with less security. "Still, I won't tell nothing."

"Why are you here? Why are you working for Frederic, weren't you, like, independent? You and your team?" Blaze asked.

Nack sighed. "That was a long time ago, I haven't seen Bean or Bark for ages."

"So, now you serve Fred?" Blaze asked.

"I don't serve anyone! I'm just trying to survive!" Nack yelled angrily.

Blaze kneeled down in front of him. "Survive from who?" She sighed. "You are afraid, I can hear it in your voice, your eyes are the ones of a prisoner, whatever it is, I can free you."

Nack remained silent for a moment, then he decided to speak. "The Pillar, they call themselves that way, Frederic and I are only their delegates."

Blaze nodded. "They threatened you, isn't it?"

Nack glanced at the natural window. "Not only me."

Blaze realized what was happening. "Bark and Bean?"

Nack turned his gaze back to her and nodded. "They have them, my brothers are suffering somewhere in the hands of these people."

Blaze stood up and thought for a moment, then she extended her hand towards him. "You'll see them again, but first you have to help me."

Nack looked at Blaze's hand. "How?" He looked at her eyes. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Blaze asked.

"I tried to kill you, and now you are offering me this." Nack said.

Blaze grinned. "That's my style, Nack."

Nack nodded and took her hand, she helped him to stand up.


	16. Chapter 16: Battle

Spark was sleeping in the guest room of Zul's house, the bed's base was part of the floor, the only window on that room was circle shaped and had no glass, and it faced towards the temple. All of a sudden, everything began to tremble, Spark didn't wake up until Zul, who had slept with her robe on, knocked the door desperately. "Spark! Get out of there, they are here!"

Spark woke up and gasped. "What…" He felt the tremor and put on his boots quickly, then he walked towards the door and opened it. "What's going on?"

"We are being attacked again, come on, just follow me." Zul took his hand and they ran outside of her home. "We will teleport to the temple."

"And this people?" Spark asked as he saw the terrified crowd.

Zul sighed. "You are right, they must make it there safely."

"I will guide them, they'll be safe with me." Spark said.

Zul let go off his hand, then she nodded. "Please, hurry." She looked at the sky and closed her eyes, then a shiny light surrounded her, and she disappeared after the light vanished.

Spark saw all of the people running towards the stairs that led to the building's roof, so he went to the front of the stairs to stop them and give them directions. "People, listen to me and calm down!" He yelled, making them to stop before him. "I know you are scared, like me, like everyone, we must make it to the temple, where it's safe and where we can prepare to fight back, but I need you to follow me and do what I tell you to do."

"Why should we listen to you?" A voice from the crowd said.

"Because that's the only way you'll survive, any other question?" Spark asked. "Right, let's move, protect the younger ones, and attack everything that looks, well, rocky and lethal, follow me!"

The crowd followed Spark while walking hurriedly, yet cautiously on the stairway, there were black meteors falling towards the building, people from the crowd began to shoot fireballs at them, making them to explode, also, they were evading the crystals that were slowly growing from the ground. They arrived to the roof of the building and immediately headed to the bridge that led to the temple´s inside, which was full of monster-like creatures made of rock and crystal. Spark stopped moving for a second. "You know what?! Let's be the warriors Erif deserves!"

Everyone screamed with courage and followed Spark on his decision to fight the monsters, he threw several fireballs towards various monsters, destroying them in a similar way as with the meteors, people imitated his actions and started to take them down, some of them experimented and shot large flames to burn the rocky monsters, Spark noticed that and tried it with success.

After a few minutes, all of the monsters had been destroyed, so Spark and the crowd ran towards the temple's main entrance. "Zul!" Spark said as he arrived. He began to get worried by not hearing a response. "We made it!"

Two figures walked towards them, then they pulled off their robes´ caps, revealing to be Ytud and Drah. "Well done guardian, well done." Ytud clapped sarcastically.

"Who the heck are you?!" Spark asked.

"I am Ytud, the man at my right is my brother, Drah." Ytud said.

"You've lost, Erif has lost, to be honest, we thought those monsters on the bridge would've been enough to end you." Drah added.

Spark glanced at his sides. "Zul!"

Ytud laughed. "Don't worry, she is alive, for now."

Spark went from worried to angry. "Tell me! Where is she?!"

"If you want to see her again and your people to live, you better hear our offer." Drah said.

"Recognize us as Erif's new rulers, or perish." Ytud said menacingly.


	17. Chapter 17: Fire And Bullets

Nack, who had forgotten his mask on the cave, was driving the Marvelous Queen through the mountain's caves, while Blaze was sitting behind him and holding his shoulders to prevent herself from falling. "Why isn't my watch detecting anything?" Blaze said.

"This area is supposed to be at my guard, on the other hand, we must be careful when we arrive to the next one, there your watch should detect a plenty of Frederic's thugs." Nack answered, the airbike hit a few rocks under it and jumped violently.

Blaze gasped. "Be careful!"

Nack growled. "Sorry, hope you understand that this isn't a sunny trip on the beach, your highness."

"Manners." Blaze warned, then she hit him gently on the back of his head, but strong enough to piss him off.

"Ouch!" Nack exclaimed.

Blaze chuckled. "You are so weak."

Nack shook his head. "Don't make me regret this, Blaze."

"Fine, just focus." Blaze responded, then four lights appeared on her watch. "Four men, a few meters ahead."

Nack braked and got off the vehicle followed by Blaze. He began to walk cautiously towards the next cave's entrance, Blaze tried to follow him, but Nack gestured to stop her. "I'll distract them, then you'll attack them from behind when you hear the signal." He said quietly

Blaze nodded. "What's the signal?"

"You'll know." Nack kept walking towards the entrance, then he entered, passing through a small tunnel, then he arrived at the cave where the four men Blaze had mentioned were already pointing their weapons at him.

"Wait." A masked, male tiger said before lowering his weapon. "He is with us." The others did the same. "Any reports, sir?"

"Not really, maybe the queen gave up and escaped or something like that, but for now we can't be that sure." Nack answered.

The tiger nodded. "So, what brings you here? Who is surveilling the west section?"

Nack chuckled. "Nobody."

"I don't like that look in your face." The tiger replied with suspicion.

"Believe me, I'm aware that not everyone is a fan." Nack sighed. "I'll be frank, drop your weapons right now, or you won't live to tell this."

"Ready." The tiger said, making the others to react.

"What is this? Don't you trust me?" Nack said.

"Aim." The tiger and his crew aimed their weapons at him.

Nack sighed, then he took his gun. "Alright." He shot two of those men on the head and jumped behind a pile of rocks to take cover.

"Fire!" The tiger exclaimed and began to shoot his machine gun at Nack's coverage, making it to start breaking slowly, helped by the other's pistol.

Nack was covering his head with both hands while crouching behind the rocks. "Hurry up woman, I don't have all the time in the world."

Blaze understood the signal and ran to the next cave, then she shot a flame at the tiger's feet and made him to fall, his weapon landed a few centimeters away from his hand, and just before managing to reach it with his fingers, Blaze stepped over his arm, then he gasped and looked at her from below. "Your highness?"

"I thought it was Frederic." Blaze kicked his face and knocked him out.

"Stay there!" One of the men was aiming at her with his pistol. "Frederic will be so happy with me bringing you alive, so don't do anything or I will…" A bullet passed through his head, then he fell down.

Nack stood up and put away his gun, then he looked at Blaze. "Your welcome."

"You didn't have to kill them." Blaze argued.

Nack sighed. "I only know that way." He shot the tiger right on the forehead.

"Nack!" Blaze shouted. "He was unconscious!"

"He was a risk, you won't bring him back to life by complaining." Nack walked by her heading to the cave where his vehicle was. "Come on, we are not too far away from Lumbre."

Blaze stood there for a moment, then shook her head and followed Nack.


	18. Chapter 18: Rain Of Power

Spark thought carefully before giving an answer. "Erif doesn't deserve people like you."

"You've no choice, convince Zul to give us Erif, so we can uncover what is hidden." Ytud said.

Spark sighed and couldn't ignore his worry for Zul. "Take me with her."

Drah nodded. "Wise." He took Spark to a hallway where Zul was chained to a wall by the leg, the chain was made of rock and had some crystals surrounding it, she was laying on the floor, devastated.

"Make it quick, or everyone dies." Drah walked away.

"I'm sorry." Spark said.

Zul was holding the chain with her hand, a little distracted as she was feeling the crystals. "Your duty was to protect all of them, not me."

"I would never let anything bad happen to you, not even if…" Spark was interrupted.

"Not even if my well-being depends on other's suffering? Why did you give up that fast?" Zul said.

"I didn't give up, we just have to figure out a plan." Spark answered. "And the only way to beat them is by being together."

Zul shook her head. "Just look at me, it's over."

"Can't we just burn the chain?" Spark asked.

"The rock is very thick, Drah ensured that." Zul responded.

Spark remained thoughtful, until he spoke with enthusiasm. "Wait, what do you need to give them the power?"

"Give them Erif?! I prefer to die!" Zul yelled.

"Just tell me, I think I've figured it out." Spark got on his knees and took her hand. "Trust me."

Zul didn't say a word, then she looked at his eyes, and felt confident, which made her to speak. "It's something very traditional, basically, one of them has to take my hands, then we close our eyes and say a poem, which represents the transfer of power from a hand to another."

"Any other formality?" Spark asked.

Zul tried to remember. "Uhm, a witness, it needs a witness, otherwise…"

"It wouldn't be valid." Spark finished her sentence.

"I get your point, they where fool enough to not chain you." Zul said.

"So, we got a chance." Spark said.

Zul nodded. "Whoever does the ritual, you will be able to hold him while being the witness, that will give us the opportunity to be both free and fight them alongside our people."

A few minutes later, Ytud and Drah came to them. "And?" Ytud said.

"My people are first." Zul said, then stood up. "We need one of you to do the ritual."

Ytud looked at Drah. "It is time, brother."

Drah nodded. "What will I have to do?"

"Take my hands." Zul said and extended her hands.

Drah rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He took her hands.

"Uhm, Spark will be my witness, you must leave." Zul told Ytud.

"Maybe I can be your witness." Ytud said. "And he leaves."

Zul shook her head. "I chose Spark, otherwise, the ritual won't be valid."

Ytud chuckled. "Right." He walked away from them.

"Try anything, and you'll fall." Drah warned.

Zul closed her eyes and exhaled. "Let's get started, do and say the same as I." Drah closed his eyes, and Zul began to speak. "Inhale." She and Drah did so. "Exhale." They did that a plenty of times. "Now, focus your mind on a flame, because that is what we are giving to you." Drah began to concentrate. "Take a deep breath, and hold it." Zul opened her right eyelid a little bit to get Spark's attention, then he got closer to her, and she whispered something to him.

Spark carefully took a pair of steps and got behind Drah, then he heated up his hand and put it over his nape while quickly covering his mouth with the other hand, Drah tried to call for help, but almost no sound could be heard beyond his covered muzzle, he began to scream because of the pain. "Free her." Spark said, Drah didn't want to listen. "I said…" He increased his hand's heat. "Free her."

Drah screamed more intensely, he resisted until he gave up and made Zul's chain to become dust, freeing her, then he gasped and fainted, Spark held him to prevent him from falling.

Zul moved her foot to get the bright dust away from it. "Good job." She said, then looked at Spark. "Thanks."

"This isn't over yet, we must take down the other guy." Spark replied.

Zul nodded. "Agree, we must confront him before he comes back, but I'm worried about the people."

"They will be fine, they learned from the best." Spark said.

Zul chuckled. "Well, let's go." They ran towards the center of the temple and Ytud turned around to look at them.

"It's done? Where is Drah?" Ytud asked.

"You are the one who´s done." Spark threw a fireball right at Ytud's face, he screamed and removed the fire with his hands.

"So you chose the painful way!" Ytud made lots of rocky spikes to grow from the floor and threw them towards the people, but they destroyed the spikes using their powers.

Spark looked at Zul. "See? What did I tell you?"

"You can't stop this!" Ytud threw more spikes, but now towards Zul and Spark, which they easily destroyed with large flames.

Spark ran towards Ytud and threw another fireball at his chest and made him to move backwards, before he could try to use his power again, Zul approached him and burned his hands on fire, he couldn't resist the pain and fell to the ground, groaning and complaining. "You chose the painful way." Spark said.

"My gift! What have you done!" Ytud exclaimed.

"Don't be that dramatic, it's temporary." Zul said, then she lifted him up by grabbing his neck. "You won't see the light of day in a very long time." She dropped him and glanced at her people. "Take him to the dungeon, the other is on the hallway." Four men took him and walked towards the hallway.

"Temporary, what if they escape?" Spark asked.

"The cells inhibit all powers, even ours." Zul walked towards the crowd and stood in front of them. "Guardians or not, today, you became warriors, all of you, Erif is safe for now, and we won't fear no one and nothing, because we are strong!" She raised her fist and everyone started to clap and scream joyfully.


	19. Chapter 19: Hidden Fear

Blaze and Nack arrived to Lumbre and quickly got off the vehicle outside of Frederic's office. "Let's arrest him." Blaze said.

"Or, we take him with us and make him spit out what I need to know, I must find these guys." Nack replied.

Blaze nodded. "The Pillar...fine, but once you are done with that he will be arrested."

"Fine to me." Nack walked towards the office's door and kicked it so strongly it fell down in two pieces. "Frederic, your time has come." Nack said.

Frederic had freaked out after Nack's sudden entrance. "What the heck Nack?! Are you crazy?!" He got worried and confused when Nack got closer to him and threw the desktop away, then he put his gun in front of his face. "You…you can't…"

Nack hit him with the gun and Frederic fell to the ground, then he dragged him over the wooden floor by grabbing his arm.

Blaze was waiting outside of the office, then she saw Nack dragging Frederic. "Are you insane?!"

"Calm, he is alive, I'm not dumb." Nack approached his vehicle and tied Frederic to the back part of it.

Blaze crossed her arms. "Did you get the info first?"

Nack looked at her with embarrassment. "Uhm, I forgot to…"

Blaze sighed. "Just leave it like that, we can wait, but not here."

Later, Blaze and Nack were waiting for Frederic to wake up in the middle of the desert, leaning over the Marvelous Queen. "I'm sorry." Nack said suddenly. "For everything."

"All forgotten." Blaze said.

"Sometimes I felt there was truly another option, something that needed to be discovered by me, somewhere, but life hasn't been kind to me, and I hate this option it gave me, and now there is no going back and I'm stuck with it." Nack said.

Blaze looked at him. "Why are you telling me this?"

Nack chuckled. "If we don't make it out of this one, I want to leave knowing that someone knew that I regretted the path I took."

Blaze moved closer to him. "We will get out of this, and you will find your friends, everything can change, just believe that you can."

"Do you know what I hate about me? I got used to pull the trigger that much, that I'm afraid I've lost any humanity I had." Nack's eyes began to show anguish and hatred.

"Do you care about them? Bean and Bark?" Blaze asked.

Nack sighed. "They are my brothers." He turned his gaze away from Blaze's, to hide his emotions. "I…"

"It's okay Nack, just let it out." Blaze said.

"I changed them, I've not only ruined myself, I turned them into me, a killer, merciless, empty." Nack said.

"Well, then you can change for them, you are their example, just be a good one this time, Nack, it's not late." Blaze said.

Nack nodded. "I will try, I will leave behind this darkness, all I want is to start over." He chuckled. "It's strange, you know, me telling you this."

"You are sharing your feelings, that shows you are human." Blaze said.

Nack looked at her and smiled. "Thanks."

Blaze smiled back, then she heard Frederic falling from the airbike. "He is with us again."


	20. Chapter 20: Homes

Zul and Spark where on the temple's balcony, admiring the restored peace of the realm, their gazes lost on the horizon, a feeling of victory in both of them. "Today we won." Zul said, then looked at Spark. "But I'm afraid about the future."

Spark looked back at her. "The future is nothing against us." He took her hand.

Zul smiled and stroked his cheek with her other hand. "Your training will continue soon."

Spark chuckled. "Uhm, I helped to save the realm, doesn't that count as a full training?"

"Nice try." Zul answered, then sighed. "Now, let's keep enjoying this wonderful view."

"I would love to, but I must go home." Spark said.

Zul nodded. "Go, see you tomorrow."

"See you." Spark said.

"Just remember, now this is your home too." Zul smiled.

Spark closed his eyes. "Thanks." He reopened them and appeared on the castle's kitchen, then he went to his room and laid on his bed. "Home." He whispered. "I'm home." Spark took a deep breath and started to remember that day's battle, he now felt important, he knew he saved lots of lives and helped people to discover themselves, something he never thought he would do, but he was also a little scared, worried about the possible next battles, new and bigger threats on their way to Erif, his new home, he tried to convince himself that he was worried about all of the people, but in reality he only seemed to care about Zul, so soon, so spontaneously, so real at the same time, the most realistic thing he had ever felt.

"Dad, I followed your advice, I made it, now I know exactly who I am, a guardian, challenges will come and I will be ready to face them with courage, no one and nothing will keep me away from my place in the universe, because I'm alive, therefore, I have a purpose, and I've found it." Tears had formed in the corners of his eyes. "I miss you, every day, I miss you, but I'll see you again one day, and I will tell you all the wonderful things I lived here, but of course always less wonderful without you, still, I know we will see each other again." He closed his eyes slowly and fell asleep.


	21. Chapter 21: Departure

"I won't betray The Pillar!" Frederic said just before Nack kicked him in the stomach, Frederic had his hands tied so he couldn't do anything.

"Talk Fred! And both of you will be free, can't you see that?" Blaze said.

Frederic shook his head. "I'm loyal to these people, my people, powerful people."

"That doesn't make you powerful." Nack said. "You are still weak, foolish and defenseless." He punched his face. "Talk! Where is Mr. Sundance?!"

Frederic laughed. "This is for your friends? Isn't it? The dumb weasel has feelings after all, feelings for a pair of morons, a dead pair of morons, probably."

Nack got furious and pushed Frederic, he fell and Nack put his foot over his throat. "Speak now, idiot! Or I will tread stronger until I crush your freaking throat!"

Frederic began to cough, he wasn't able to breathe well and the pain was growing, Nack kept treading with strength, Frederic feared for his life and finally spoke. "I…I'll tell you, I will go with you, but…please…"

Blaze noticed that Nack was still hurting him. "Nack! Stop! Remember our talk! You can change!"

Nack hesitated, then he growled and moved his foot away from Frederic, who took a deep breath and started to cough. "Stand up, tell us where to go." Nack said.

Frederic told them the location of Mr. Sundance when they were traveling on the air-bike, they had arrived outside of a big building in the middle of the desert and got off the vehicle. Frederic put this hand on a recognition pad, then a metallic door opened, Blaze and Nack got inside. "Thank you, Fred." Nack punched him so hard he fell unconscious.

"Was that necessary?" Blaze asked.

"Uhm, yes, it was necessary." Nack looked at the building's inside. "Kind of out-dated, for a big, evil society."

Blaze closed the door. "No more time to waste, let's find this guy."

"I will search down here, you take care of the second floor." Nack said.

Blaze nodded, and they both began to explore their respective areas, all of the walls were gray colored and the entire place was very cold, illuminated by dying light bulbs. "It's alright Blaze, you will return home and see your son and Rachel again." She inhaled and exhaled quickly. "Everything is alright." She said to herself while walking cautiously through a great hallway, then a security guard saw her from distance and began to shoot, she acted fast and created a flamed wall in front of her, then the guard who had begun to run towards her stopped behind the fire, Blaze turned around and saw an Egyptian cat standing in front of her, then he grabbed her neck and lifted her up, making her to scream. "Nack! Na…" She coughed desperately.

"Your highness, it's an honor to meet you in person." Mr. Sundance said, then he threw her to the floor strongly. "I thought you were stronger than that." He took her neck again and ran through the hallway while holding her, then he threw her again, this time over the railing next to the stairway, making her to fall from the second floor to the first one, she groaned while struggling to stand up. "What are you?"

"A warrior." Mr. Sundance jumped from the second floor and landed perfectly on the first one. "This is no place for a queen."

"The thing is..." Blaze turned her hands on fire. "I'm also a warrior."

Mr. Sundance smiled. "Bring it on then."

Meanwhile, Nack was shooting with his gun all of the dozens of guards that had ambushed him on a room, always aiming at not lethal points. "I'll still cause you pain fellows, that's for sure!" He said so while neutralizing the last of them. He sat down on the floor for a moment. "Okay, that was easier than I thought."

"Until now." The fox that had beaten him up previously showed up outside of the room, then entered alongside the cat that had done the same.

Nack stood up quickly and tried to shoot at them, but he was out of ammo. "Dang it." He said. "Alright, make it quick." He dropped his gun.

"It's not our style." They took off their coats and untied their ties, then dropped them.

"Two versus one? Meh, I can handle…" Nack got interrupted by the fox's kick, he rubbed his face and looked at his foes again. "Maybe not." He shouted and punched the fox; the cat kicked Nack's leg, but he resisted and did the same to him, making him to fall over one knee, then the cat jumped, grabbed his head and made him fall with his own weight, Nack groaned and freed himself from the cat, then he stood up and kicked his face, leaving him on the floor.

The fox chuckled. "A nice contender." He walked towards Nack and began to throw punches at him so did Nack.

Blaze was throwing fire balls at Mr. Sundance; he dodged them easily; he managed to get close to her and kicked her belly; she threw flames on the floor, and Mr. Sundance didn't show any reaction. "You will need more than fire to stop me." He walked over the fire and punched her, then she got behind a column and climbed it, then jumped and landed on him, and began to punch his face several times.

"What is this place?! What are you doing here?" Blaze said.

Mr. Sundance's mouth was bleeding. "This is unstoppable, the future, the next step, salvation for the world." He hit Blaze's forehead with his own, then stood up and kicked her face, she fell down. "I wanted to end your life with honor, but it seems it will be much quicker." He stepped on her throat.

Nack was holding the fox's head while hitting it against the solid wall. "Where are my comrades?" He stopped doing it to let the fox speak.

"I've already told you, I don't know." The fox said while sobbing, his face covered with blood."

"It's a shame I don't want to carry with your pathetic life." Nack pushed him to the floor and took a chair that was on corner of the room, then hit his head before he could try to recover.

"This can't be stopped my queen, the entire world will flourish thanks to The Pillar, even if no one ever knows our name." Mr. Sundance kept suffocating Blaze, each second getting closer to kill her. "You have failed, to you and your people." He said before he suddenly felt a wire squeezing his neck. "Wha…"

Nack was choking him from behind, he was walking backwards until he reached a wall. "Tell me now, where are they, Bean and Bark." Nack said.

"Or what?" Mr. Sundance was struggling to speak.

Nack tightened the wire against his throat. "Let's find out."

Blaze had slowly recovered from the previous event, then she glanced Nack choking Mr. Sundance. "Nack!" She yelled. "He will speak! In jail, let him live!"

Nack tried not to listen to her, but then he remembered the conversation they had together, he hesitated for about a minute, then he dropped the wire and Mr. Sundance fell unconscious.

Blaze walked towards Nack. "Thanks, now, let's get what we need to get out of this place."

After a couple of hours, Blaze and Nack had found plenty of information on the place's computers, then they got on the Marvelous Queen and returned to Sol, where they imprisoned Frederic and Mr. Sundance in the castle's dungeon, then they went to the forest behind the castle. "Now I will rescue my team." Nack said, then he put away a pen-drive on his vehicle's trunk.

Blaze nodded. "This weird society and that mineral, the effektium, need to be tracked down and destroyed, I will assemble a team to do it and your help could be handy, but I know your friends come first."

Nack extended his hand and Blaze shook it. "Take care, your highness." He got on his vehicle and left.

A week later, a big futuristic ship was parked in front of the castle, Blaze and Rachel were standing next to it. "I will miss you, sister." Rachel hugged Blaze briefly.

"I'll be here soon, I promise." Blaze said.

"Can we just leave already?" Spark said from the ship's inside.

Blaze chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry, he insisted to come." She sighed. "I felt the same way after my training on Erif, powerful and wise." She put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Will you take care of my kingdom?"

"With my life, Blaze." Rachel answered.

Blaze nodded and got on the ship, then it flew far away from the kingdom.


End file.
